Riding-stirrup.



No. 719,246. PATENTED JAN. 27, 1903. W. G. MURPHY.

RIDING STIBRUP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

IN VE N TU 7Zlianz BY THE NORRIS PET-ERS ca. PHOTO-LUNG" WASHINGTON, n. c

lhvirhn dramas AThNT \VILLlAM GRANT MURPHY, OF YANKTON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

RIDENG 'STIRRUP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 719,246, dated January 27, 1903.

Application filed April 29, 1902. Serial No. 105,164. (No model.)

To (1/7/71 whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GRANT MUR- PHY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yankton, in the county of Yankton and State of South Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Riding-Stirrnps, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in riding-stirrups; and the object that I have in view is the provision of means which will tend to disengage the foot from the stirrup in case the rider is thrown from the horse.

The improved stirrup can be used with perfect ease and freedom by a rider wearing an ordinary boot, shoe, or any other article of footwear, because the movable shield is so fashioned and shaped that it conforms to the instep, and it has a broad convex surface designed to minimize friction on the foot. Another advantage of my stirrup resides in its ability to resist the strain or pressure of a horse falling on the article, which in ordinary devices is sufficient to crush and break the same, thereby crushing the foot of the rider and preventing him from disengaging himself from the fallen animal. In my device, however, the shield tends to brace and strengthen the side portions of the stirrup, and the latter will not give way and break when it is caught under a fallen horse. The shield is mounted to have a free swinging movement or play in an upward and rearward direction and through an arc of ninety degrees or even less; but this shield is so disposed that its upward movement is limited or arrested by the cooperation of the stirrup in order that the shield may be prevented from moving too far and to cause it to drop or fall by gravity back to its normal operative position.

With these ends in view the invention consists of a riding-stirrup embodying certain novel features of construction, which will be hereinafter fully described, and defined by the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a ridingstirrup equipped with a shield constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section in the plane of the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the shield being shown in its operative position by full lines and in its inactive position by dotted lines; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the plane of the dot-ted line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

A designates an ordinary stirrup, which is preferably made of a single piece of metal in the shape shown more particularly by Fig. 1. This stirrup has a wide tread-surface a, and the side portions a thereof converge upwardly, as shown more clearly by Fig. 1, and terminate in the substantially straight parallel portions a 7 A bolt 13 is arranged to pass through coincident openings in parallel portions a of the stirrup, and on this belt is loosely arranged the sleeve 0, which serves to reduce the friction and Wear of the stirrup-strap at the point of attachment of the stirrup thereto.

The important feature of myinvention consists of the shield B, which is made or cast in a single piece of metal and is adapted to fit closelyto the upper portion of the stirrup, said shield being arranged to span the space between the converging portions or of the stirrup and being also pivotally mounted on the bolt B, so as to swing upwardly and rearwardly. The shield proper consists of the plate d and the forwardly-extending flange (1, said flange and the plate merging one into the other, so as to produce the arched lower edge (1 as shown by Fig. 1, and to make the shield take the cross-sectional shape repre sented by Fig. 2. The plate (Z of the shield is curved transversely in a horizontal plane, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3, and the entire shield is thus given a contour which makes it conform to the instep of the riders foot or shoe, thus contributing to the comfort and ease of the rider, particularly if he is engaged in an occupation which requires the use of the saddle many hours in the course of a day.

The cast-metal shield D is provided with the projecting arms 2, which are extended above the plate d and are spaced apart, so as to fit snugly between the parallel upper ends a of the stirrup. These arms e are provided with coincident openings adapted to receive the bolt B and to pivotally connect the shield tolthe stirrup through the medium of the b0 t.

The shield D is furthermore provided at the side edges with the ribs f, which lie in planes substantially at right angles to the arms 6, and these ribs fpractically form extensions or continuations of the plate 01 of the shield, as shown by Fig. 3. The side edges of the ribsf are curved to conform to the ex-' ternal contour of the stirrup at the converging portions 0/ thereof, and these ribs are made very thin in cross-section, so that the shield will fit compactly or snugly to the stirrup when said shield is in the closed active position. (Indicated by full lines in the drawings.)

The arms 6 of the shield are extended along the side portion of the plate d until they meet with the cross-sectionally convex flange d, and these arms have their lower portions curved or inclined in downwardly-diverging relation, as indicated by dotted lines at e in Fig. 1. The arms of the shield and the ribs at the sides thereof are fashioned to fit snugly to the stirrup in order that the shield may occupy an exceedingly compact relation thereto, and in this connection it is to be observed that the arms 6 will lie between the converging and parallel portions a a of the stirrup when the shield is in its active position, whereby the shield is adapted to serve as a stay or brace to'the side portions of the stirrup. This adaptation of the shield prevents the stirrupfrom being broken or crushed when an animal falls thereon, and thus the rider is relieved from the liability of having his foot crushed and is enabled to disengage his foot from the stirrup in case the animal should fall. The shield is adapted to swing through an arc of ninety degrees or less, assuming that the beginning of the movement is from the lower vertical position. (Shown by full lines in Fig. 2.) It is evident that the riders foot can readily and quickly clear the stirrup should the rider be thrownfrom the horse, because the shield D will swing upwardly and rearwardly with relation to the stirrup, and the foot will practically be carried outwardly and away from the stirrup. The shield is free to drop or fall by gravity back to its operative position shown by the drawings.

Another advantage secured by my construction is that the arms guide or direct the shield to its proper position within the stirrup when said shield drops from a raised position back to its normal upright position, thus preventing the shield from assuming any position except the proper one.

If desired, the stirrup-strap may be made to prevent the shield from turning clear over the stirrup.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A riding-stirrup provided with the converging portions (1 and the parallel portions a a bolt B secured in said parallel portions, and a one-piece shield D comprising a'plate d and the side arms 6, said plate being provided with a concave lower edge and with a cross-sectionally curved flange, and the arms 6 being fitted loosely on the bolt; the ends of the plate d being extended beyond the arms to form the ribs f which abut the stirrup to limit the movement of the shield in one direction, and said arms 6 of the shield arranged to fit with the sides of the stirrup and to cooperate with the plate din forming a brace within the stirru 0.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM GRANT MURPHY.

Witnesses:

MARTIN G. SINN, LYNN JEFFRIES. 

